Cullowhee, N.C. - The 2012 Western Carolina volleyball team began its 2012 season holding two practices Wednesday in the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts performed basic drills, scrimmaged and logged conditioning time in their first day.

McCoy was added to the Western Carolina volleyball coaching staff in July, 2012 after a year as an assistant coach at South Alabama. Prior to South Alabama, McCoy spent the previous four years at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., working three seasons as an assistant and one season as a graduate assistant for the Colonels. While at Nicholls State, she worked with the setters and the defensive specialists, supervised the academic progress of the student-athletes, initiated community service projects and worked with the strength and conditioning staff in organizing the training program for the team.

Stancliff - a 2012 graduate of East Tennessee State University - was named the Bucs' 2012 Defensive MVP as a senior middle blocker. Stancliff was a Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun performer after leading the league in blocks, moved into fourth place in ETSU history for most block assists in a single season with 112 in her senior year. She holds the third and fourth spots on the list as her 124 block assists last year rank third in school history.

The 2011 Western Carolina volleyball team changed the course of direction of the volleyball program. Over the previous four seasons, WCU only won nine conference matches total. The 2011 team won eight conference matches. For the first time since 1989, a Catamount head coach was named the SoCon Volleyball Coach of the Year. WCU's 13 overall wins is the most wins since 2003. Also, the Catamounts defeated rival Appalachian State for the first time since 2008. Perhaps most importantly, WCU qualified for the SoCon Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2006. Outside hitters Caitlin Piechota and Jordan Timmermann were also named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.